It is known that various hydroxylated 2-aminotetralins of the general formula ##STR4## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are saturated alkyl groups and n is 1 or 2, are dopamine receptor agonists [McDermed et al., J. Med. Chem. 18, 362 (1975); McDermed et al., J. Med. Chem. 19, 547 (1976); Hacksell et al., J. Med. Chem. 22, 1469 (1979)].
It is also known that compounds where n is 1, R.sub.1 is a saturated alkyl group, and R.sub.2 is various functionalized alkyl groups have been shown to be dopamine receptor agonists [Seiler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,519; Seiler et al., J. Med. Chem. 29, 912 (1986) ].
Horn, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,628, has disclosed that various hydroxylated 2-aminotetralins with aralkyl substituents are useful as dopamine and D-2 receptor agonists for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system as applied to Parkinson's disease and related disorders, hypertension and hyperprolactinemia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,933 further discloses that certain aralkyl substituted 2-aminotetralins are useful in lowering intraocular pressure in mammals and can be beneficial for alleviating the symptoms of glaucoma.
Santangelo, in European Patent Application No. 0321968, describes certain aminotetralins with aryloxyalkyl substituents as having cardiovascular activity.
The need exists for more and better drugs useful in the treatment of central nervous, ophthalmic and endocrine disorders in humans and other animals. Especially, the need exists for drugs that cause a minimum of undesirable side effects at therapeutic dosages and for drugs that do not show tolerance in the subject upon prolonged administration, but are capable of advantageously affecting the dopamine receptor sites without providing an undesirable physiological response.